5 Factors You Should Consider Before Selecting a Neighborhood

Buying a home is exciting, and often the first question home shoppers ask themselves is, “Where do I want to live?”. There’s plenty to consider when selecting a neighborhood, so let’s take a look at the best approaches to choosing the right place to live and key factors to consider.

Selecting a Neighborhood That’s Right for You

When you’re ready to select the right neighborhood, there are plenty of factors and characteristics to remember. Moving is tough as it is, and buying a home can be intimidating — you want to get every part of the process right, especially when making the investment of a lifetime.

It’s crucial the neighborhood that’s right for you is one you can picture being in for an extended period of time. To get a jumpstart on finding and selecting your future neighborhood, take a more organic approach. Check out the Nextdoor app, Reddit threads, or Facebook groups about specific neighborhoods to get a real-time feel of the people and events in the area. You can also plan a staycation in the area to spend time in the community, talking to locals, and exploring all the area offers.

Taking these steps can help you get a realistic feel for life in the neighborhood and answer questions long before you sign on the dotted line to purchase a home there.

5 Factors to Keep in Mind Before Selecting a Neighborhood

As you inch closer to narrowing down the right neighborhoods of interest to you, keep the following five factors in mind. These characteristics will help you select the right place to call home.

The Safety of the Neighborhood (and Surrounding Areas)

One of the most important characteristics to examine before you decide to purchase a home is the safety of the neighborhood, as well as nearby neighborhoods. You can use websites like NeighborhoodScout or ADT’s Interactive Crime Maps or connect with local law enforcement, which will all help you get a better understanding of crime rates in the area.

If you decide to visit the neighborhood, be sure to also zero in on your gut instincts. If crime data is satisfactory, but you still get an off or uncertain feeling you can’t shake, listen to your inner voice. After all, you must feel comfortable and at ease where you decide to live.

How the Neighborhood Aligns with Your Lifestyle

Oftentimes, moving correlates to a shift in your lifestyle. Whether it’s a new job, family member, or other life change, you want to make sure where you’re planning to buy is a neighborhood that aligns with your lifestyle.

If you’re passionate about the outdoors, a neighborhood near trails and other outdoor activities is important. If you’re a recent graduate, a neighborhood with empty nesters may not be the type you want. If you have smaller kids, ensuring there are plenty of family-friendly activities near your neighborhood will also be key.

A difference in your lifestyle and the neighborhood you’re interested in isn’t necessarily a make-or-break characteristic, but it is still an important factor to consider in selecting the right neighborhood.

Proximity to Things to Do

In the same vein as aligning with your lifestyle, a key factor to consider when selecting a neighborhood is its proximity and convenience to things to do, both for fun and for necessity. You should evaluate the grocery stores, pharmacies, shopping malls and outlets, and restaurants nearby each neighborhood you’re considering. These can have a major impact on your final decision.

For example, if you’re considering a neighborhood with hardly any major grocery stores nearby, it may be less than ideal to purchase a home there. Or, you’ll have to factor in commuting out of town to the nearest grocery store and the frequency you’ll stock up on groceries. If you fancy dining out on even a semi-regular basis but have little to no restaurant options nearby, your selection of the neighborhood may take more careful consideration.

The Quality of Schools in the Local Area

If you have younger children or you’re planning to start or expand your family, the quality of schools situated in or near the neighborhoods you’re considering is another crucial factor.

Websites like Public School Review, Niche, and Great Schools were designed specifically to help you evaluate schools by neighborhood. They also allow you to access insights into a variety of factors that influence the quality of the school, like enrollment trends, student-to-teacher ratios, diversity, and more.

Some of the major real estate home search portals also allow you to search for homes by school name. If you already have a school in mind in or near your new neighborhood, these portals can help you find homes nearby.

Any Impact the Neighborhood Has on Your Commute

When selecting a new neighborhood to potentially live in, it’s also important you weigh the impact it may have on your commute to school, work, or other obligations. This is the simplest factor to weigh online: simply pull up Google Maps and search from the neighborhoods you’re considering to the final destination of your commute.

Be sure to monitor the commute time on different days of the week and different times of day. Google Maps provides real-time data, allowing you to get a real feel for how traffic stacks up, even if the neighborhood isn’t too far from a mileage perspective.

A Trusted Real Estate Agent Can Help You Select the Right Neighborhood

Now that you have a solid idea of the factors to consider before selecting a neighborhood, you may be wondering who can guide you through visiting these areas, giving you an honest perspective, and helping you find the perfect home in each area.

You can find the best real estate agent to help you buy your next home and walk you through every step of the process from start to finish on RealEstateAgents.com today. Leave the worries of finding the right neighborhood behind, and let a top-rated professional help you find home sweet home.